01/09/2011

Let’s Do The Numbers

The thing about New Year’s is that you can’t exactly begin a new life right there and then, since there are all kinds of things getting in your way:

1. All the Christmas leftovers. I’m getting a lot better about giving and throwing away the food I don’t want to be consuming

2. The gym is closed. Ever notice that? Madness, really, because wouldn’t they just clean up on January 1st?

3. Weight Watchers is closed. Which is even stupider.

4. The kids are still on vacation (ah…but not for long)

So there you are, full of good intentions and you have to wait until everything gets back to normal. In my case, this involved a trip overseas: back to where Mr. E and I live in Eastern Europe: he works for a living in a large concern and I write for a living in a very small room in our apartment. Before taking off, however, I did pop into a Weight Watchers meeting and get a number, and used my tape measure and the online Body Mass Index calendar to lock in my appalling “before” numbers and here they are:

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 243.2 pounds

Waist: 43 ½ inches

Bust: 45 inches

Hips: 53 ½ inches L

eg (mid thigh) 29 inches

Neck: 15 inches Upper Arm: 15 inches

BMI: BMI is between 35-39.99 (Obese Class 2) If you have a BMI of 35-39.99 your risk of weight-related health problems and even death, is severe.

This is the heaviest I have ever been in my life. I’ve thought about being heavy, or fat, but never obese, but there it is: in black and white. Before I left, I also had a physical work up with a new doctor. I discovered that my cholesterol is up and an abdominal ultrasound revealed fatty cells on my liver, which some preliminary research suggests could be hindering my efforts to loose weight but far more seriously, can be lift threatening. Because I am…well…obese (I should get used to saying it, shouldn’t I?) I’m having trouble catching my breath when I climb stairs or do household tasks. I’m tired a lot, I snore, and I have trouble sleeping. None of this is at all aligned with being the person I want to be. So I have to change it.